Love At First Fight
by audi katia
Summary: Pencak Silat, XANA, jealousy… They're always fighting. When will they realize what they're fighting for?
1. Reason to Believe

**Author's Note:** This story. It's like my child. I have nursed it for weeks. It is the apple of my eye, the sunshine in my life, my reason for waking up in the morning. ...Okay, maybe it's not all that. But it still means a heck of a lot to me. But yeah, I've been working on this for a while. I've edited the first chapter so many times, so I really hope there are no problems with it. If there are, please let me know and I will do what I can to fix it.

**Dedication: **To my sister, Julia. For putting up with me and reading all my chapters. She's the one that tells me if I wrote something stupid. And she's the one that convinces me that my work is pretty good. She's also the one that is sitting next to me now as I write this. She's calming me down because I am so nervous about posting my baby. (Julia's penname is J-awesomeness. Her stuff is great. Read it and review it, please!)

**Notes: **This fic is set in the future. During Yumi's senior year at Kadic High, so about 2 years or so after the series finale.

Their ages are as followed:  
Yumi: 18  
Ulrich: 17  
Odd: 17  
Jeremie: 16  
Aelita: 16

Also, _italics _are song lyrics. It's a good song. You should listen to it. :)

Happy readings!

* * *

_I have reason to believe that I have victories to taste.__  
I can feel them on my teeth, upon my lips, and in my chest.  
__I can roll them on my tongue, you're more subtle then defeat.__  
I feel the tension in my lungs, and every move is filled by my resolve.  
-Dashboard Confessional, Reason to Believe_

"Surprise!" Four exuberant teenagers yelled as a tall, dark haired girl opened the door.

Yumi laughed appreciatively, looking around the room at her friends. Jeremie's dorm had been decorated in honor of her up-and-coming graduation. A banner hung over his computer that read "We'll miss you, Yumi!" and food littered the table.

As Aelita rushed to Yumi's side, Odd blew a party favor in Ulrich's ear, causing him to push the smaller blonde away.

"Congratulations, Yumi," Jeremie spoke from his seat in front of the computer, away from the chaos that surrounded him.

"Thanks, everyone. This is really nice of you guys to do this," Yumi said, pulling away from Aelita's embrace. She smiled warmly at her closest friends. They returned the smiles, and Aelita motioned for Yumi to sit next to her on the bed.

"Of course! We wanted to do something nice. I can't believe you'll be leaving Kadic soon," Aelita said. "You'll be leaving me with all the boys!"

She and Yumi shared a laugh at the boys' expense. Jeremie and Ulrich chuckled along. Odd, from his seat on the floor, brandished a pretzel at the giggling girls.

"I'll have you know that I am wonderful company. Positively fantastic! Princess, you'll be fine with me!" he boasted, crumbs falling from his full mouth. Jeremie snorted at this remark and rolled his eyes. Sliding down the wall to sit next to Odd, Ulrich gave his friend a shove on the shoulder.

"Oh yeah? And just how long was that last relationship of yours? Three days?" he teased lightly. Odd shrugged his shoulders, munching on another pretzel. This caused the group to laugh again.

On the bed next to her, Aelita started braiding small sections of Yumi's raven hair. She calmed down from laughing and looked at Yumi. "You know, I really am going to miss you," Aelita spoke softly. Yumi smiled at the younger girl, stroking her hair gently.

"It's alright. I'm not going too far," Yumi comforted her. "I'll only be about two hours away. We'll still hang out sometimes, and e-mail all the time."

They sat in silence, watching Ulrich and Odd throw pretzels at each other while Jeremie tried unsuccessfully to settle them down. Yumi sat in deep thought knowing that this time in two weeks, she would already miss her friends more than she could say.

She wondered if, at college, there would be a genius like Jeremie, to answer all her questions. Or if there would be a jokester like Odd, who would make her laugh constantly, no matter what. Or if there would be a best friend like Aelita, to complain to for an hour about boys, or brothers, or homework, or anything at all. Or if there would be a boy like Ulrich, who would make her heart race with a single glance, with a single touch, with a single fight.

No, she didn't want another Ulrich. She wanted someone different. She and Ulrich were done. There was nothing left to visit.

A range of emotions flashed upon Yumi's face and Aelita noticed her friend seemed miles away.

"Yumi? What's wrong? What are you thinking about?"

Aelita followed her friend's eyes and saw that they laid upon Ulrich's laughing features. Comprehension dawned on the pink-haired girl's face.

"Oh," she breathed. "Yumi, are you going to talk to Ulrich before you graduate?"

Yumi shook her head, not looking directly into Aelita's eyes.

"There's nothing to talk about," she lied. "I just want to go to college and move on. I need to be away from Ulrich. We're better off as friends, but it's just so hard."

She played with a stray thread that had come loose from the brown comforter.

"I need to be away from him," she repeated.

The room suddenly fell silent. Yumi looked up at the lack of noise, surprised to see four sets of eyes all staring at her. She felt the blood drain from her face and her eyes widened.

They heard her.

Tension hung heavy in the air, no one said anything. Her words seemed to float in the air, facing each occupant of the room. Jeremie's mouth opened and closed as though he forgot how to speak. Odd looked back and forth between her and Ulrich, excited as to who would speak first. Aelita appeared apprehensive as she stared at Ulrich.

Feeling as though her throat was closing up, Yumi swallowed hard. Her eyes fell upon Ulrich and she felt her heart skip. He glared out at Yumi from under his shaggy hair. His gaze was fierce, locking her in place. Every muscle in his body was taunt, ready to spring into a fight.

"So," Odd broke the tension, rocking back and forth on the floor, eagerly watching. "Are you really going to take that, Ulrich buddy?" He blinked rapidly, ready to watch the inevitable fight begin.

"Uh," Jeremie started, "maybe we should leave them alone for a moment." He got off his computer chair gingerly, and nudged Odd. He held a hand out to Aelita, who accepted wordlessly, still gaping at Ulrich's expression. The three of them made their way out the door. Odd lingered before shutting it completely.

There was no doubt in Yumi's mind that Odd stood listening at the door. Chances were, though, he wouldn't have to strain his ears too much. Yumi knew she and Ulrich had a tendency to raise their voices when moments were tense. Everyone in the school knew that.

"Is it true?" Ulrich asked, not moving an inch from his spot on the floor. His voice fell low in his throat, deeper and raspier than before.

Yumi nodded, looking off to side, avoiding his gaze. The air chilled around her, pickling goose bumps on her skin. She rubbed her arms, trying to create some friction to warm herself up.

The banner looked so pathetically out of place now. Pretzels strewn across the floor no longer looked comical. Yumi stared at them all, picturing them as fallen and abandoned. She tried to count how many lay lonely on the floor. Anything to keep her focus off of Ulrich.

One, two, three…

Four, five, five, wait... Her focus failed her.

Her attentions fell to him again as he stirred. He stood up slowly, and stretched his legs out, warming up for the coming fight.

Snapped out of her thoughts, Yumi pulled herself together again.

"I'm sorry, Ulrich," she started. She really was sorry. Sorry it didn't work out, sorry she didn't tell him, sorry she was leaving, sorry for everything. "I tried to talk to you before. I mean, we talked about this before."

Every quick word she spoke gave her more strength to continue. Her words grew more confident with each one spoken.

"You and me, we're better off as friends. You agree, right? You did before."

Ulrich laughed. The sound grated Yumi's ears. This was not a pleasant laugh, not one caused by one of Odd's lame jokes. This was harsh and cruel and so entirely not what a laugh should be. It definitely wasn't a laugh she was used to hearing from Ulrich.

"That was years ago! But you know what, if you want to bring stuff up from years ago, here's a good one. You promised we would 'have more adventures,' and I believed you!" He laughed again and Yumi really wished he would stop. "I know I'm not that smart, but that was really dumb, huh?"

His shoulders trembled with each hacking laugh. "Oh, come on and laugh with me. I'll bet you laughed behind my back all the time. Probably with William!"

That taunt, that deliberate jab ignited a fire within Yumi.

"That's it! Stop it! Stop laughing! Nothing, absolutely nothing has ever happened with William! I told you this over and over again!" Yumi felt her hands ball up into fists. Her face grew hot with indignation and her eyes narrowed in fury.

"This is why we have to be just friends! You get too jealous! I get too jealous! Every time I see Sissy or Emily or any girl who ever starts to like you!" Her words flew out of her mouth. She had held this in for far too long.

Yumi and Ulrich glared fiercely, their stances perfectly mirroring each other's. Stiff muscles, clenched fists, frustrated features, they both leaned forward. They stood only a foot away from each other, the anger radiating off their bodies creating an insufferable atmosphere that had held friendship and laughter only minutes before.

Yumi took a step towards him, hardly aware that she just stepped on a pretzel. Oh well, she must have already looked ridiculous with her hair half in braids. What are some pretzel crumbs going to hurt?

"I've told you a hundred times, there's nothing going on between me and any other girl! It's only you! It's only ever been you," Ulrich stressed the last words, trying desperately to make Yumi understand. His words grew louder and harsher.

Only he didn't have to try so hard. Yumi understood perfectly. She had known for years, since the first time she told him she wanted to be friends. Just friends. She knew why this was so hard.

"I know it's only ever been me," Yumi spoke softer then before. "It's only ever been you, too. I thought you knew that."

Doubt swam in Ulrich's hazel eyes. He stood unwary of what she meant.

"What-" he started before Yumi held up a hand to stop him. Thankfully he quieted, crossing his arms as a defense against anything she might say.

"Look, you and I have been, well, dancing around this for years. For the longest time, I've wanted to be with you. And I'm pretty sure that you wanted that, too," Yumi spoke slowly, trying not to overwhelm him. This was so hard for her to say. Ulrich stood unwaveringly, still uncertain about what Yumi was saying.

Yumi took a deep breath before continuing.

"I mean, it was one thing when Lyoko was still around. We never knew if the battle was going to be our last, or if Aelita and Jeremie would save us in time. We didn't know when we would be able to shut the Super Computer off for good. We grew up faster because of that. Maybe you and I only cared about each other the way we did because we thought that was all we were ever going to know. Or maybe not. I don't know. When the Super Computer was shut down, we got a chance to be teenagers again."

Yumi felt light headed. She had held this inside for over a year, carefully imagining the best way she could tell these secret thoughts to him. Watching him as he stared her down was hardly the scenario she had pictured.

How would he respond now that she finally divulged her secret to him? The look on his face killed her. Betrayal, suspicion, distress. How could she hope to make him understand why she was saying this? Too late to back out, Yumi plunged forward.

"If you and I were together, that would be it," she finished lamely. How else could she say this without saying everything? "Ulrich, if I were to be with you… That would be it for me. You're the only person I'd ever want to be with. And you, well, I don't know if I'm the only person that you'd ever want to be with."

Ulrich opened his mouth to say something, to protest, to stop her, anything, but Yumi talked over his attempt to interrupt.

"I doubt that's the case, but even so… Ulrich, I don't want us to be limited."

It seemed as though Ulrich had no idea which expression to settle on. Confusion, to disbelief, to hurt, to betrayal. They all morphed into one another, contorting his handsome facial features. His eyebrows drew together, his lips parted. His eyes grew darker and hazier. Then his head shook.

"No. I wouldn't be limited."

Yumi shook her head. "Ulrich-"

"No!" He snapped at her, silencing her words. He stood trembling worse than before. She feared his laughter, that horrible sound, would be back. He rubbed his temples, preparing himself to go on.

"No. Don't talk. It's my turn," he said, his eyes begging her to hear him out. "I would not be limited. How could you say that?! Do you honestly want to just stand here and tell me that?" He looked more frustrated and exasperated than angry at this point.

"You and me! For years!" Ulrich paced in the room, dragging his hands down his face. The soccer player in him looked as though he wanted to kick something. The frustration must have been building inside him, he could not stay still. Words continued to spill from his mouth, but they made no sense. He was growing louder, his actions proved more frantic.

He stood right in front of her. Red faced and beautiful, his expression made him appear as though he was settling some sort of inner battle. She could only watch him as he faced his internal struggle. Sputtered words fell onto her ears, but there was a roaring that kept her from hearing correctly. His arms still moved about, proving a point that Yumi couldn't see.

Then he stopped. No warning. Just a complete halt in all of his disordered actions. His hands froze in the air, his breathing fast and erratic. His chest heaved with every intake of breath. The blaze in his eyes held her fast to the ground. She wanted to run, but couldn't find the urge to move at all.

Time seemed to intensely speed up, but still he moved agonizingly slow. Inching closer to her, his arms lowered a small amount, but were still raised slightly in a defensive manner. Yumi lost all sense of the floor, of the walls, of the windows, of anything that was holding her on the ground and inside the room. Her eyes focused in on his, finding the little sparks of green and gold in his eyes that she once spent hours looking for.

Every particle in Yumi's mind screamed at her to run, but she had no idea how to convey that to her body. Ulrich came closer still, his mouth partially open, and his breath hot on her face. Cheeks colored red from anger stood out awkwardly on his skin. His scent intoxicated her, filled her to the brim. Something spicy and warm, she would recognize it anywhere.

Then suddenly, Ulrich's hands snapped down on her arms, powerfully pinning them to her sides. His mouth was hot and wet on hers before she even had a chance to react. Instinct told her to close her eyes, to respond. Tongues twisted and battled against each other, clashing more viciously.

One of his hands released her arm and found its way to the back of her head. He pressed harder into the kiss, deepening it, tilting her head back with the very force of it.

Yumi couldn't breathe. She wanted more, she wanted to push him away. Confusion clouded her vision. She wanted to know what she wanted to do. She wanted to breathe him in, steal his scent and make it her own until it drowned her. Was she even standing anymore?

The ground was gone, the world was gone. It was Ulrich and her. Only them. And his hand fisted in her hair. And her free hand gripped the side of his face. And his fingers rubbed circles into her arm. And her heart raced to the point of exploding.

The rest of the world did not exist. There was only the here and now.

His body pressed tight against her, and every touch burned her skin. She grew lightheaded and felt as though her skin itself would fall off and expose her insides entirely to him. Would she mind?

The door flew open at that moment, and Odd burst in. Jolted by the sound, Ulrich and Yumi tore away from each other. Yumi could still feel the tingle on her lips, the tremor on her tongue. His hand still attached to her arm, they stared. Yumi felt electricity searing her skin at the contact, but nothing pierced as much as his eyes. They stood only inches apart, but Yumi knew in that one kiss, more distance had been forced between them than ever before. His eyes never left hers. They stood out dark in his face, bottomless and intense, never blinking.

He looked down at her, she realized. He was taller than her now, when had that happened? What else had she failed to notice?

"Hey, guys!" Odd's voice broke the moment, and Yumi found she was reluctant to look at him. He stood with a knowing grin on his face, his eyebrows waggling. "I heard too much silence. I figured that might not be a good sign. 'Cause I mean, if you're not talking, what else could you possibly be doing?"

He looked at Ulrich, who continued to hold tight to Yumi's arm. Ulrich glanced down, and quickly snatched his hand away as though surprised that it had still been there.

"I guess I was right to come in. Oh boy, can you imagine what Jim would do if he caught you two? You should be thanking me for this!" Odd's grin grew wider, and he beckoned for Jeremie and Aelita to come closer from the hallway.

Yumi felt like an animal on display. Odd looked proud, Jeremie looked embarrassed, Aelita looked concerned. And Ulrich… He continued to stare at her. She couldn't decipher what expression he wore.

"Right, thanks, Odd," Yumi started slowly, choosing every word carefully. She couldn't lose her ground now. There was too much held at stake. "Thanks for stopping this before it got out of hand."

"What?" Ulrich reached out to hold Yumi again, but this time she could move. The spell was broken, and she pulled away from him.

"No! This is exactly what I meant!" she stormed at him, pushing his hand away. She backed up until her back hit the wall. She pushed off it and headed towards the door.

Ulrich caught her arm, forcing her to look up at him. Oh, when did he get so tall?!

"Ulrich, can't you see? This is too much! We, we can't do this," Yumi yelled, yanking her arm from his. She held herself still for a moment, watching his face fall and harden with such intensity.

"Fine, just go."

Yumi didn't move. She couldn't. It took all of her willpower to hide the fact that she was breaking. She had to pretend that her ribs weren't slicing through her skin or that her blood wasn't rushing at an enormously high rate. Tension swelled in her body, forming a pit in her chest.

Turning on her heel, she pushed past Odd to reach the only exit.

"Yumi," Aelita started, reaching out for her elbow. Yumi moved out of the way, continuing out the door.

"Thanks for the party, guys, it was great. Until… well, yeah," Yumi trailed off, not looking any of them in the eye. She hurried down the hallway, desperate to escape. Exhaustion was taking over her, and she wanted little more than to throw herself on her bed and just sleep for a year.

Behind her, she felt rather than saw Ulrich leave the room, too. Off to his dorm, she assumed. Not that she cared. Not that she was paying attention. No, she was done caring and paying attention. She was done.

"Wait!" Odd yelled, half his body hanging out from the doorframe of Jeremie's room. Yumi turned around, furious at him for stopping her and at not understanding why she even stopped at all. Ulrich, it seemed, had turned around, too. Not that she cared. Not that she paid attention to him. Nope, she wasn't going to pay any attention to him.

"Guys!" Odd continued, his cheeks pink with excitement, "How was the kiss?"

No, she wasn't going to pay any attention to Odd, either.

_Breathe, don't you want to breathe?  
I know that you are strong enough to handle what I need.  
My capillaries scream, there's nothing left to feed on.  
My body needs a reason to cross that line.  
-Dashboard Confessional, Reason to Believe_

* * *

Yay! First chapter done! So intense, I know. And Odd's a little goofball. I love him. lol

Anyway, this is a multi-chaptered fic. I have it blocked out to be about five chapters long and I'll be updating each Sunday. (Hopefully.)

In other news, I graduate tomorrow!! So excited. So, in honor of this momentous occasion, I thought I would upload my first chapter. I hope you guys all like it. Please review!


	2. Blow Me Away

* * *

**Author's Note:** You like it, you really like it! :) Thank you all so much for your reviews. Since a couple of you asked for a quick update, I decided to post this before Sunday. I might do the same for chapter 3 if you guys want. Once again, if there are any problems in this chapter, let me know and I'll try to fix them.

**Dedication: **To Mel, my beta reader. She's the third set of eyes for this story and lets me know if I am using correct grammar. The fact that you guys don't go cross eyed from missing commas is due to her. Thanks, Mel!

**Notes: **Each chapter takes place about a year after the previous one does unless I say otherwise. Also, the point of view switches back and forth between Ulrich and Yumi. That part's pretty easy to understand about four sentences into each chapter.

In this chapter, the first section in _italics _is a series of flashbacks during Ulrich's senior year without Yumi.

Their ages are as followed:  
Yumi: 19 (freshman in college)  
Ulrich: 18 (senior in high school)  
Odd: 18 (senior in high school)  
Jeremie: 17 (senior in high school)  
Aelita: 17 (senior in high school)

Happy readings!

* * *

_No time to lose,  
We've got to move.  
Steady your hand.  
I am losing sight again.__Fire your guns.  
-Breaking Benjamin, Blow Me Away_

**_Flashback: Fall_**

'_Ulrich?" a timid voice came from the doorway. The senior school semester had only just started and already he was being bothered._

"_Come in," he answered reluctantly._

"_Um, I got an e-mail from Yumi," she began. Ulrich's eyes popped open and he sat up so quickly from his bed that he became dizzy._

"_Yeah? What did it say?" he asked, eager to know. Their fight right before her graduation had caused a chasm between them. The whole summer had passed without any word from her._

"_She wanted to know how you are. That's all. I didn't know what to tell her," Aelita said apologetically. Ulrich threw himself back on the bed._

_Was that it? That's all she had to say to him after a whole summer of not talking?_

"_Well, tell her that if she really wants to know, she can write me herself," he growled, not caring if he hurt Aelita's feelings. He'd probably regret his tone later. Aelita didn't deserve his bad mood, but oh well. Placing an arm over his eyes to block out the sunlight, he heard Aelita exit the room._

_At the doorway, she must have paused. "I think you two are being stupid. Just e-mail her yourself."_

* * *

**  
_Flashback: Fall_**

_Gritting his teeth, he sat down at the computer. It was time to take Aelita's advice as he began to type up a message._

Hey Yumi.

Just e-mailing you to see how you are. How's college?

Also, sorry for last year. And for not calling you over the summer.

Later, Ulrich

_Sighing, Ulrich highlighted all the words and deleted the text. That just wasn't right._

Dear Yumi,

I miss you. So much. I'm sorry. If I could, I'd take back our whole fight last year. Please e-mail me. Please call me. Please send a smoke signal. Anything, just so I know that you forgive me.

Love always, Ulrich

_Highlight and delete. Yumi didn't need to know just how desperate he truly was._

Yumi-

I'm sorry.

-Ulrich.

_He hit 'send,' feeling that that this, however short it was, might be a good start._

* * *

**_Flashback: Fall_**

_Jim droned on about the importance of safety while running track. Ulrich found himself nodding off. Really, who scheduled gym first period in the morning? His cell phone vibrated in his pocket and Ulrich nearly leapt out of his skin._

_Carefully, as to remain unnoticed by Jim, Ulrich pulled his cell phone out to read the text message he had just received._

I forgive u. I'm sorry 2. Forgive me? Call me later, k? –Y

_Ulrich smiled to himself, putting his phone away. Of course he forgave her. Their fight had been months ago. He didn't blame her for not feeling ready for a relationship. He didn't blame her for running off. Hell, he had practically forced her to go._

_He would call her the first chance he got._

"_Stern!" Jim bellowed, catching Ulrich's attention. "What did I just say?"_

"_Um, that you'd rather not talk about it?"_

* * *

**_Flashback: Winter_**

_Kiwi bounded across the room leaping up at Ulrich's legs as he entered._

"_Hey there, mutt," Ulrich said affectionately, scratching behind the dog's ears._

"_Hey! Don't call my little diggity dog a mutt!" Odd warned from the spot on his bed. "Anyway, don't get him all worked up. It's snowing too hard out for me to take him out so he has to stay in here." Kiwi jumped back up on Odd's bed, rolling around for Odd to scratch his belly._

_Ulrich looked out their small window to see that Odd was right. The light snowfall they had cheered for earlier in class instead of listening to Mrs. Hertz now fell thickly and heavily from the darkened sky. He shut the door behind him, sat on his bed, and took his shoes off comfortably._

"_So," Odd said, rubbing Kiwi's back, "Yumi just called me. She's visiting next weekend from college. She wants to know if we all want to meet up with her while she's here. Maybe get ice cream or something."_

_Ulrich glanced out the window at the wintry wonderland. "Isn't it a little cold for ice cream?"_

_Odd shook his head solemnly. "There's never a bad time for ice cream." He got off his bed to look for a doggy brush for Kiwi. "Anyway, are you going to join the rest of us when we go see Yumi? Or will this be like last month when she came to have dinner with us and you just sulked in here the whole time?"_

_Groaning, Ulrich turned on his bed so that Odd could only see his backside._

"_I just don't want to see her right now," Ulrich muttered into his pillow. Odd sighed dramatically._

"_I thought you two worked things out. I mean, you've talked to her on the phone a couple times, right?"_

_Lifting his head from the comfort of his pillow, Ulrich answered._

"_I just don't want to see her yet. Things are still too awkward. I was a jerk and I think I really hurt her." He buried himself under his covers, not even bothering to change out of his clothes. "Besides, she was right. Maybe if we went out, we would be limited."_

"_What, you think you guys should just be friends, too?" Odd asked incredulously. Ulrich looked over at his best friend staring at him with one eyebrow raised._

"_Well, no. But if she just wants to be friends, then I'll respect that," Ulrich said resentfully. Odd gave him a sympathetic look as Ulrich shut his eyes, welcoming sleep._

'_She said she forgave me, but does she really?' he wondered as sleep washed over him._

* * *

**_Flashback: Spring_**

"_So, just remember SOHCAHTOA. Sine is opposite over hypotenuse, Cosine is adjacent over hypotenuse, and Tangent is opposite over adjacent. Really, it's quite simple," Jeremie carried on and on._

_Ulrich desperately tried to pay attention, but his heavy eyelids grew stronger with each passing sentence about trigonometric functions._

"_Ulrich! Hey, Ulrich!" Jeremie hissed. Ulrich forced his attentions back on the neglected notebook in front of him. He looked up guiltily at Jeremie's annoyed expression._

"_Look, I already know all this. You're the one that needs to do well on the next few tests if you want to graduate next month," Jeremie reminded him._

_Ulrich grimaced. Why was trigonometry so boring? And required before graduation? Life just wasn't fair sometimes._

"_Sorry, Jer. I'll do the next problem, okay? And then can you check it for me?" Ulrich begged his genius friend. Jeremie eyed him for a moment before relenting._

"_Okay, fine. I'll stay with you for a little longer. But only because I want you to graduate."_

"_Thanks, Einstein," Ulrich smiled gratefully. He attempted to tackle the problem. While he bent over his paper, he silently cursed the inventor of triangles and the first person to decide to put letters into mathematical equations (Seriously, it wasn't an English class so why have letters?)._

"_Holy gigabytes!"_

_Ulrich, eager for any reason to abandon his trig homework, looked up excitedly._

"_What is it?"_

"_I forgot to tell you! Speaking of graduation, guess who's going to be there?"_

"_Santa?" Ulrich deadpanned, having expected something slightly more interesting to have caused Jeremie's excitement._

"_No," Jeremie shook his head. "And don't tell Aelita that, either. She still doesn't fully understand the concept of St. Nick. Anyway, Yumi's coming to our graduation!"_

_Ulrich snapped his pencil in two between his fingers. Great, just great._

"_I guess you really need to work even harder on your homework then. Now you have more of a reason to make sure you graduate," Jeremie teased slyly. Ulrich glared grouchily at his friend before tackling his assignments again._

* * *

**Present: Spring**

"Oh, Yumi!" Aelita cried suddenly. All Ulrich saw was a flash of pink as Aelita ran to greet their friend. She raced to Yumi who greeted her with open arms. The two girls clasped hands and giggled over some silly girlish notion before starting their way back to the boys. It was completely endearing. Ulrich hadn't realized just how much Aelita had missed her fellow female companion.

"Ready, Ulrich?" Jeremie taunted, eying the girls as they approached. Odd laughed behind his hand as Ulrich's cheeks flushed.

"Aw, cool it, guys," Ulrich said grumpily. Some friends they were.

"Sorry, good buddy," Odd said in a tone that was anything but sorry. Ulrich paid him no attention, though, for Yumi drew nearer and nearer.

Time slowed down around Ulrich and he lost all sense of his peripheral vision. He either had never realized or had never fully appreciated just how stunning Yumi was. Her shiny hair had grown during their year apart, the ends brushing against her black dress top. Her full pink mouth opened in a laugh that Ulrich had sorely missed. He watched as her graceful fingers tucked a lock of silky hair behind her ear, showing the elegant line of her jaw.

Each step she took was sure and confident and Ulrich desperately wanted to know if she felt as nervous as him. Her face lit up with a bright grin as she gazed at all of her friends and Ulrich knew that he alone suffered from nerves.

"Congratulations, everybody!" Yumi cried excitedly. Ulrich closed his eyes for a moment, trying to record the sound of her voice so he could replay it in his mind during her absence. "The ceremony was great! And Jeremie, I loved your valedictorian speech."

Jeremie blushed modestly as Yumi hugged him. "Well, it was nothing, really," he said in a small, proud voice. Yumi laughed and pecked him on the cheek before moving to Odd.

"It's great to see you again, Yumi!" the skinny blonde boy told her as they hugged as well.

"You, too. I've really missed you guys," Yumi smiled wistfully at Odd. Then, as though moving through still water, she turned to Ulrich.

This was it, the moment Ulrich had been simultaneously waiting for and dreading since he learned that Yumi was invited to the graduation. It had been a year since they last saw each other face to face. A year since their fight, when he pinned her down and kissed her like a madman (He knew the consequences would be lethal, but, God, he wanted to kiss her again.) Ulrich's palms began to sweat as he wondered how she would react to seeing him.

Was she still upset with him? They had shared their apologies and forgave each other, but she was always one to hold a grudge. Would her confrontational personality shine through?

"Hey, Yumi," Ulrich offered off hand. He gave a cautious smile and raised his hand half way in a sort of wave. Yumi took a quick step forward and for a brief shining moment, Ulrich was sure she was going to hug him. At the last second, Yumi seemed to think better of it and pulled away.

"Hi, Ulrich," she greeted him. Her tone with him had been different than it had been with the others and Ulrich wasn't sure if it was a good different or not.

Yumi shook her head as though trying to clear her thoughts and moved away, blushing, to talk to more with Jeremie about his speech.

"Beautiful, huh, Ulrich?" came Odd's voice from far away, nearly breaking Ulrich from his stupor.

"Yeah, beautiful," Ulrich started before completely coming back to Earth and realizing what he had just admitted. "Well, um, that is… Shut up, Odd."

Odd laughed gleefully, his bright green eyes full of mirth. "Maybe you should let her know, Romeo." Ulrich made a swipe at him, but Odd danced out of the way to hide behind Aelita.

Aelita, grinning brightly, held her arms up to protect Odd. The sight of Odd cowering behind the small pixie of a girl caused Ulrich to laugh.

"The tables have turned! Now Princess is protecting her protector," Ulrich joked. Yumi and Jeremie turned to see what Ulrich was talking about.

"Well, I have to save my cousin, don't I?" Aelita said wryly as Odd wrapped a loose arm around her shoulders.

"Thanks, Princess," Odd said smiling down at Aelita. Then, he looked up at the rest of the gang, his eyes gleaming. "Hey, what do you say we make a trip down to the factory? For old times' sakes, huh?"

* * *

"And a hi-yah!" Odd yelled, swishing his hand in a downward motion as though karate chopping the air. He kicked as high as his graduation gown allowed (which, admittedly, wasn't very high) with a loud grunting noise. He made a few more dizzying hand movements to indicate more fighting before turning around to face his friends.

"And then I'd kick the monsters!" he finished dramatically with a bow, eliciting giggles from the girls.

"You know, Yumi," Aelita said between laughs, "I think Odd finally lost it!" Everyone shared a laugh at Odd's expense, including Odd himself.

"Well, if you think you're so funny, let's see you fight, huh?" Odd challenged, grinning in Aelita's face. She giggled some more behind her hand, backing away from Odd's silly stare.

"Oh, no. I had all the fighting I could handle on Lyoko!" she said, pushing Odd away affectionately.

Odd, now determined to challenge his friends, moved on to his next target.

"How about you, Einstein? You gonna fight?" Odd teased. Jeremie gave him a cold look over the edge of his black rimmed glasses.

"No, I don't think so, Odd. I was more of the behind-the-scenes guy, remember?" Jeremie reminded him. He rolled his eyes, but eventually gave in to a laugh as Odd shook his head.

"I tell ya, this is sad. No one will fight!" Odd turned to grin mischievously at Yumi and Ulrich. "Well, at least, Princess and Einstein won't." The look on his face was purely devilish as he walked over towards Ulrich.

"Come on, good buddy!" Odd urged him, pushing Ulrich closer to Yumi. Ulrich tried to resist the smaller hands on his back, but Odd proved stronger than he looked.

"Aw, come on, Odd, we don't have to do this," Ulrich started until he saw the look on Yumi's face. Her eyes sparkled and her mouth was set in a determined smile.

"What? Afraid you might lose, Ulrich?" Yumi challenged, crossing her arms in a most alluring way, causing Ulrich to grin.

"Not a chance," he answered back. He pulled the graduation robe off and handed it to Aelita to prevent any tears or stains during the fight.

Yumi and Ulrich stepped further away from their friends as to avoid hitting any of them in case their fighting got too out of hand as it so frequently did.

Standing a few feet from each other, they bowed respectfully. Lifting his head, Ulrich watched with narrowed eyes at Yumi. He observed her every step, matching each one she took carefully.

Her pale hands stood out in front of her body, ready to block any kick or punch that came her way. Feet stepping over each other in a cool, calculated manner, they moved around in an almost complete circle before either of them made a move.

Odd cheered something out in the background, but Ulrich was beyond listening. All he was focused on was Yumi and the slight twitch of her hand. Her eyes darted to the left, and Ulrich knew that she would make her move there.

Yumi lunged for him on her left as he instantly darted out of the way. She glared up at him from her spot on the floor and he only smirked.

"You need to stop looking at where you're going to move," Ulrich tipped her, feeling a certain satisfaction at her growing irritation. Something about seeing her so wound up fascinated him.

This time, Ulrich made the first move. He kicked at her shoulder, only for his foot to be caught in her hands. She smiled sweetly at him before twisting his leg and throwing him down in a move that was anything but sweet.

He heard, rather than felt, his back hit the floor with a thump, but leapt to his feet before Yumi could pin him down. He swung his arm out to catch her in the stomach only to have her swiftly duck out of the way. God, the girl was quick.

While he pulled his arm back from the swing, he left his stomach unprotected. Taking advantage of his position, Yumi stuck her leg out and kicked him right in his center. He doubled over and Yumi laughed above him.

"That was a beginner's mistake, Ulrich. Haven't practiced since I graduated?" she teased. Ulrich, still doubled over, kneeled on his knees. Despite the sharp pain in his stomach, his heart raced a mile a minute and he couldn't remember the last time he had felt this alive.

Yumi stood above him, waiting for him to catch his breath. He looked up to see her victorious expression, her smile urging him to get up so she could finish him off. Smiling to himself, he knew he loved that girl for a reason.

With a smirk, he caught his breath enough to raise himself off the ground. With a grunt, he gripped at her upper arms, forcing her backwards.

Her eyes widened in surprise at his sudden attack and Ulrich's smirk grew. She tried to force his hands off her arms, her slim fingers working furiously. Unable to move his hands, she glared up at him furiously.

"Had enough yet?" Ulrich taunted her between heavy breaths. Feeling triumphant, he watched her thin eyebrows meet together on her forehead and her pink lips snarled at him. Goosebumps erupted across his skin. Oh, he loved this vicious side of hers.

In the blink of an eye, Yumi's foot hooked around his and brought his leg out from beneath him. Unbalanced, Ulrich swayed, clinging to Yumi to stay standing. His efforts were in vain and soon he toppled over, bringing Yumi down with him.

Shrieking with surprise, she swiftly twisted her body to escape form his hold. Holding him down tightly to the ground, her fierce eyes never left his for a second. Ulrich didn't waste a moment's time. He threw himself upwards, pushing Yumi's body off of his.

In one fluid motion, he flipped her over so that their positions were opposite. She lay flat on the cold ground and he stood on all fours, holding her between his knees. With one swift hand, he caught both of her wrists and held them above her head. His other hand pinned down her waist, keeping her from moving from the ground.

The silence that fell between them was broken only by their harsh breathing. Unblinking, they watched each other warily, waiting for the next move. Yumi's hot, sweet breath blew across his mouth and cheeks, and he found himself wanting to drown himself in its warmth.

Heat radiated from between their gasping bodies and Ulrich fascinated himself with staring at Yumi's exhilarated face. Her eyes were wide and completely open. Her dark, shiny hair stuck to her sticky forehead, beads of sweat lost themselves across her smooth skin and Ulrich grew aware of just how tight his dress pants had become.

A tiny, red tongue darted between her chapped lips, moistening them. Ulrich nearly groaned as his stomach constricted powerfully. She had to have some notion of what she was doing to him. Seriously, the urge to ravish her right there on the factory floor was nearly too much to bear. This wicked girl, she was killing him.

"You know," she said quietly, her confident words breaking into his less than chivalrous thoughts, "I could get out of this if I wanted to." Deep crimson colored her face as he was sure it did his, too.

"You won't."

His breath fell heavily on her face, her face that lay only inches beneath his. Two seconds, that's all it would take to claim her mouth with his.

"And what, exactly," she asked him, her breath labored and thick and completely alluring, "makes you say that?" One eyebrow was raised, and her piercing eyes stuck him right in his core. Ulrich's insides squirmed delightfully, but as he opened his mouth to answer her, Odd's voice drifted over.

"What's the name of that move, guys?"

Now, Ulrich knew he had never been too smart, but now his mind worked furiously to come up with as many different severely painful ways to murder Odd as it could.

Yumi shifted under Ulrich's weight, sending shock waves through his body. God, did that feel good. And right. Why didn't they ever spar more often? She shifted a second time, twisting her arms to get his attention. Ulrich, jerking himself out of fantasies of what else they could do that would make her sweat this much, immediately met her gaze. She looked at him expectantly until he realized that it would probably be in his best interest to detach himself from her.

With a groan, he released her wrists and rolled off her body. The factory floor felt cool against his sweating back. He shut his eyes and tried to settle his rapidly beating heart.

Ulrich knew he couldn't blame his breathlessness entirely on the spar.

"Seriously, guys, that was pretty cool," Odd continued, standing over Ulrich. "Especially the part where you both blushed," he teased, egging on the two tired teenagers.

"Shut up, Odd, will ya?" came Yumi's voice over on Ulrich's side. He opened his eyes and watched her shift her weight so that she rested on her side. A lovely S of a girl, he thought.

Yumi didn't look too nervous, Ulrich noticed. But he also took note of how her eyes carefully avoided his. Her face had returned to its normal lovely, pale pallor, but a hint of rose could still be found on her cheeks. Ulrich stood and offered a hand to Yumi to help her up. Shyly, she accepted and as she stood, Jeremie's cell phone began to ring.

"Hello?" he spoke into the receiver. "Oh! Sorry, Dad. My friends and I, uh, we were just hanging out. I'll be right back!"

Jeremie hung up, and looked around at his friends.

"Sorry, guys, but my dad's looking for me. Your parents are probably wondering where you all are, too," Jeremie said reluctantly.

"Oh," Aelita gasped. Everyone turned to look at the pink haired princess. "I forgot that all of your parents were here!"

The group of friends looked at one another and then laughed. How easy it was to forget the world when they were all together. Ulrich knew that despite the fact that they would all continue their friendship, he would miss their days together at Kadic High.

"Aw, leave it to the parents to ruin our fun," Odd said, poking his tongue out childishly.

"Well, I better go before Dad comes looking for me!" Jeremie stated, making his ways towards the exit. "Coming, Aelita?"

She nodded and handed Ulrich back his graduation gown. Waving at the other she followed Jeremie outside.

"So," Odd said, rubbing his hands together gleefully, "Can I learn that last move? I would love to have our pretty Yumi und- umph!" Ulrich's hand smacked the side of Odd's head, reminding him of just what would happen if he finished that crude sentence.

"Oh, sure, Odd. Here, let me show you," Yumi joked, forming her fighting stance again.

Odd eyed her cautiously, probably trying to judge how painful a flip would be.

"Uh, no thanks, Yumi!" On that note, he started to scamper away. "No funny business, you two!" He called down when he reached the exit. "If you aren't back at the graduation ceremony in the next ten minutes, I'm going to send Hiroki after you!" Odd ran off, laughing at his own cleverness.

Ulrich chuckled, shaking his head at his friend's antics. His laugh subsided and he and Yumi were left in the emptiness of the factory.

"So," Ulrich said in an attempt to start a conversation. "I guess that was fun."

"Yeah," Yumi nodded with a blush on her face again. "I had forgotten how good you were."

Nervous from her compliment, he muttered thanks, and pulled the graduation gown over his head. Emerging from its polyester hold, he grimaced. Why did they have to be so ugly?

"Very handsome," Yumi teased lightly, tugging at the collar.

"Knock it off, will ya?" Ulrich laughed. Yumi stopped teasing him, but she still didn't move her hands from his collar. She brushed her fingers up his neck and across his cheek in a feather soft motion.

"I've missed you," she told him matter-of-factly. Her words were normal, but a softer look appeared in her face that he had sorely missed in her year of absence.

"Yeah. Me, too," he agreed as casually as she had. But he knew she understood how much he meant those three words.

"Look, Yumi, I'm sorry that I didn't come to see you at all when you visited," Ulrich started, placing his hand behind his neck. "I guess I was just being stubborn."

"As usual," Yumi said, rolling her eyes in a friendly fashion. "Hey, look, we really should start heading back."

Ulrich followed her wordlessly, feeling an immense weight fall off his shoulders. She truly did forgive him. Everything felt balanced in his world again.

Outside the factory, the two friends walked side by side on the path back to Kadic. Ulrich stood close enough to her so that occasionally their hands brushed against each other. Each touch of her skin brought him back to thoughts of her sweating body pressed up against his.

"Hey, Ulrich?"

Once more, Yumi's words jolted Ulrich out of a very pleasant and highly inappropriate day dream.

"Huh? Oh, sorry. What is it?" he asked her, looking over at her side. She kept her gaze forward, not meeting his.

"Do you think that fighting brought us together?" she asked in a more serious tone than he had heard her use all night.

Ulrich thought back to how they met. It had been through learning Penkak Silat with Jim. And how their friendship strengthened on Lyoko, fighting X.A.N.A. And how they had survived past all the jealously-induced fights that Sissi, William, and Emily had caused. And how, even after last year's epic fight, they still managed to stand next to each other as friends.

"Yeah, I do," he answered plainly, unsure of how exactly to convey all his thoughts to her. She had always made him tongue-tied.

"Do you think," she continued as though he hadn't said a word, "that if we hadn't fought each other that day we met that we would still have cared for each other as much as we did?"

Ulrich, at a loss of what to say, waited until Yumi elaborated.

"What I mean is, if you had fought some other girl that day with Jim and I had fought some other guy, do you think that maybe we would have fallen for them instead of each other?"

She stopped walking and looked at him inquisitively. Ulrich slowed his pace, thinking to himself.

"No, Yumi," Ulrich disagreed. "Fighting is how we met and it did bring us together, but there are so many other reasons why I fell for you."

Her quick smile. Her full laugh. Her impossibly short temper. Her endless strength. Her clever sarcasm. Her irrational jealousy. Her boundless courage. Her focused intensity. Her fierce determination. Her challenging attitude. How exasperatingly gorgeous she was, no matter what time of day or what season it was or what mood she was in. In short, everything that made her Yumi.

The moonlight filtered through the leaves and graced itself across Yumi's alabaster skin. He leaned in, ready and eager to taste the lips he had been dreaming about for the past year. Their last kiss had been out of anger. He needed a kiss out of love.

Eyes shut, he moved in closer until he felt his lips make contact with balmy skin. He pulled away, surprised. Yumi had moved her head at the last moment. Ulrich had kissed her cheek instead.

"I'm sorry, Ulrich," she said dejectedly, looking at the ground.

"It's okay, really," he assured her. Despite the understanding smile he gave her, he couldn't help feeling frustrated on the inside.

Wasn't this a repeat of last year? A missed chance? A too-late apology? He had been waiting to kiss her for months. Now he would have to wait even longer.

Ulrich felt a tentative hand take hold of his own. He looked down to see Yumi's slender fingers entwine themselves with his. Shy and feeling like he was fourteen years old again, Ulrich looked over at Yumi through the corners of his eyes. A smile stretched across her shiny face and he immediately felt his nervousness dissipate.

"Come on," she said good-naturedly. "We don't want Hiroki to come after us."

And with that, she tugged on his hand, pulling him through the trees. Ulrich chuckled at her sudden playfulness.

'I am always going to love this girl,' he thought to himself as he watched her laugh gleefully under the dappled moonlight.

_Blow me away.  
I will stay unless I may.  
After the fall,  
We'll shake it off.__Show me the way.  
-Breaking Benjamin, Blow Me Away  
_

* * *

...and thus chapter two is completed. I hope you like all the action. :)

I originally wanted to update this a little earlier, but fanfiction dot net was being sorta glitchy. Sorry about that, guys.

Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter. Please review!


	3. Criminal

**Author's Note:** Thanks for all the reviews, guys! Really, they mean so much to me. And for everyone who favorited this or story alerted it, thanks. It makes my day. Lol

**Dedication:** To my younger brother, James. He's not really a big Code Lyoko fan like my sister and I are, but he puts up with us when we watch episodes on Youtube. (We laugh pretty loudly and he never tells us to quiet down.) My brother is the one who suggested that I title this story "Sam" for no reason other than he likes that name. James rocks. Lol

**Notes:** This chapter takes place roughly _two years _after chapter two. It's mostly a filler chapter though. That's why it's shorter than the other chapters. I tried to make this funny since there is very little Yumi-Ulrich action. Sorry guys, but a filler chapter was needed in order for me to keep the story heading in the direction I want it to go. Hopefully, you'll all still like it. :)

Also, Académie Suisse is an actual French college. I don't really know much about it except that it's an art school. I thought that would be fitting for Odd.

Their ages are as followed:

Yumi: 21 (junior in college)  
Ulrich: 20 (sophomore in college)  
Odd: 20 (sophomore in college)  
Jeremie: 19 (sophomore in college)  
Aelita: 18 (sophomore in college)

Happy readings!

* * *

_Let me know the way__  
Before there's hell to pay.__  
Give me room to lay the law and let me go.  
-Fiona Apple, Criminal_

How hard would it be to do a return to the past? Sure, the super computer would need to be turned on. And that would run the risk of Xana returning. And the Lyoko warriors would have to reunite across the country to report back to the factory from their colleges. And the world would be in constant danger. Again.

It would be worth it, Yumi decided, anything to turn back time and refuse Peter's request for a date.

Despite the growing boredom, Yumi plastered a smile on her face that she hoped made her look interested in whatever bland topic Peter prattled on about. Cars, was it?

Just a few days ago, Yumi had been gathering her books after an hour long class outlining the effects of World War II on France. Peter Stelmach had approached her, blushing, nervous, and shy, and asked out her out to dinner on the upcoming Friday night.

Yumi had accepted, of course. Peter was a good friend, someone who always had something to contribute to debates during class. He joked easily, had a charming smile, and was an all around nice guy. Not to mention the fact that he was easy on the eyes. Yumi, and most of the other girls in the history class, had been quick to notice his clear green eyes and sandy blonde hair. His rock band tee shirts clung close to his wiry frame, showing the outline of muscles in his back.

Yes, he was definitely a sight to behold, especially in the history class where most of the guys looked like older versions of Herve.

Too bad she didn't know ahead of time that he was as boring as a Creeperwas creepy.

"Yumi?"

Yumi jolted in her seat. Peter stared at her expectantly, his eyebrows raised slightly. A lock of blonde hair fell into his green eyes.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Peter," Yumi quickly said. "I was thinking about, uh, a paper I have due next week. What did you say?"

He nodded, believing her excuse. "I just wondered what you thought of the restaurant. I picked it out especially for you."

Yumi looked around the restaurant. Brightly colored light orbs extended from the ceiling, foreign symbols on fake parchment covered the walls, and jade dragons were the main décor.

It was a Chinese restaurant.

Yumi could have buried her face in her hands. He thought she was Chinese? Anyone who talked to her for more than five minutes had to know she was Japanese!

Trying to keep her breathing steady, she smiled forcefully at Peter.

"It's lovely, really. The food is wonderful," Yumi told him. This time she was not lying, the rice was perfectly cooked.

There was no need to wipe the proud look off his face. He had, at least, _tried _to make things special for her, and it's the thought that counts, right?

Peter, pleased that he had apparently chosen the right restaurant, continued to eat his food and talk about some comedian who was coming to perform at the college in the upcoming week.

Yumi smiled and tried to covertly sneak a glance at her watch. How long does a girl have to be on a date before she can politely ask to be taken home? Probably longer than half an hour, she dejectedly told herself.

* * *

"Well, Yumi? What do you say to ordering some dessert?"

Yumi looked over at him and gave him an expression that she hoped looked apologetic.

"Oh, Peter, I'd love to. But I have a huge paper due next week. I really want to start working on it. My grades really need to improve," she said, feeling slightly guilty as she watched his face fall.

So what if she didn't really have a paper to do? Even Mother Teresa would lie to get out of this boring of a date.

"Well, I guess those are just the breaks, huh?" He smiled regretfully before getting up to find their waiter. Yumi felt a twinge of guilt as he chatted with the waiter in order to pay.

However, about ten minutes into their walk home, the guilt had miraculously disappeared from Yumi's conscience.

Maybe an awkward silence on the way back to the dorms would have been better. Then Yumi wouldn't have to pretend to be interested in his new car. She was just sick and tired of listening to him go on about the motor engine and paint job or whatever it was that he was talking about. Seriously, she didn't think she'd care even if he drove the Batmobile.

After what seemed like a year, they finally reached her dorm door. They stood awkwardly at her entrance while Yumi searched her pockets for her key.

"So, Yumi," Peter started slowly. He cracked his fingers, which Yumi understood to be a nervous habit of his.

"Thanks so much for tonight, Peter. I had a great time," she smiled, looking up at him through her eyelashes.

"Me, too. I was thinking that maybe we could-"

"Actually," Yumi interrupted him before he could ask her out on another date that she was sure would be just as terrible. "I think we're better off staying friends."

She teetered back and forth on her heels, waiting for his response. Disappointment clouded his eyes, but he still smiled down at her.

"If you insist."

Grateful for that the awkward moment was over, Yumi leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek.

"Thanks," she told him sincerely. She gave Peter a small wave as he turned to leave. She watched him walk away, his hands in his pockets and his head hung low before she turned her key in the lock.

Shutting the dorm room door hastilybehind her, Yumi threw her sweater on the floor and collapsed on her bed. After listlessly resting for a long moment, she looked up to see her roommate was no where to be found.

"Probably out with her friends," Yumi spoke into the silence, staring at the empty, unmade bed across the room. A lonely feeling seeped into Yumi's heart as she buried her face under her pillow, wishing the day had ended better.

After a few moments of self pity and wondering if she should drown her sorrows in a chocolate bar that she had stashed in her desk drawer, Yumi remembered she had voice mail. Her phone had vibrated several times throughout the tedious dinner, but out of respect for Peter, she ignored the calls. Pulling her mobile out, she began to listen to her messages.

"Yumi!" Yumi pulled the phone from her ear as Odd's voice boomed from the small electronic device.

"You'll never believe it! Yours truly has been selected to show my movie at Académie Suisse for the Indie Movie Festival!" Frantically, Yumi grabbed a nearby pad of paper and pen from her desk to write down the details of his premiere.

"It's when I get to show off my mad talent. You know you want to be there! Ulrich will be there! -Shut up, Odd! - Oh, Ulrich, give it a rest. Anyway, bye, Yumi! Ow, Ulrich, that hurt!" Yumi smiled at their exchange before realizing that she still had no information as to when the movie would show.

Rolling her eyes, she waited for the next message to play.

"Uh, hi, Yumi. This is Ulrich. Don't listen to what Odd said. Wait! I mean, you should come to his show. But uh, the other stuff, forget about it. Okay, talk to you later."

Exasperated, Yumi threw her hands up in the air. What did it take to get the information she wanted? Her cell phone beeped a third time as the next message started.

"Hello Yumi! How are you? Everything is wonderful here! The weather is so nice. Anyway, I figure Odd called you to tell you his good news. But I also figure that he forgot to let you know the details."

Yumi held the pen to the paper, ready to take notes, thankful that at least one of her friends had sense.

"It'll be next Friday night at Académie Suisse. The show starts at eight, but I'm coming earlier and I'd love it if you did, too. It's been forever since I last saw you! Almost two weeks! Well, hope to see you there."

Yumi finished writing the information down before picking up the phone to call Aelita back. While dialing Aelita's number with one hand, Yumi dug the chocolate bar out of her drawer.

The phone rang a few times before a familiar voice answered. "Yumi? Is that you?"

"Hi, Aelita!" Yumi smiled, glad to hear her best friend's voice. She peeled back the wrapper to her candy bar and inhaled the heavenly scent.

"Yumi!" Aelita squealed excitedly. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," Yumi answered automatically. "Yourself?"

"Oh, just great! Jeremie was over earlier. We wrote our papers on molecular combustions. It was a lot of fun!"

Yumi blinked, unable to comprehend how writing a paper could be fun. Then again, it _was_ Jeremie and Aelita.

"I guess you got my message then?" Aelita continued.

"Yeah, thanks for the information. Odd and Ulrich both called, too, but they neglected to give me any details," Yumi said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, they can be such boys sometimes, can't they?" The girls giggled for a moment before a comfortable silence fell between them. Yumi took a giant bite of her chocolate bar and immediately felt somewhat better.

"Hey, Yumi?" Aelita's voice sounded hesitant. "You sound a little tired. Is everything okay?"

Sighing, Yumi shifted about on her bed. It seemed like so much to tell Aelita, but she really needed someone to talk to just then. She finished swallowing her mouthful of chocolate before responding.

"Oh, it's nothing. I just went on a date tonight," Yumi said, idly playing with the hem of her shirt.

"Ooh!" Aelita's high pitched squeal startled Yumi. "Who was it? Was he cute? What did you guys do? What did you wear?" The questions were hurled at Yumi and she was slightly fearful of Aelita's exuberance.

"Uh, Peter. Yes. Ate at a restaurant. Jeans, tee-shirt, and a sweater."

"Cute shoes?"

"Chucks."

"Oh." Aelita sounded slightly disappointed and Yumi's eyes narrowed. Not everyone can be as adorable as Aelita. Some girls (like herself ) do better in jeans and Chucks.

"So, his name is Peter? Is this the guy from your history class?" Aelita questioned. Yumi could picture Aelita sitting in her dorm, sprawled out on the bed, trying to figure out Yumi's date.

"Yeah. He asked me out a few days ago and I figured, why not? We went to a Chinese restaurant, so it was no big deal," Yumi answered offhandedly.

"A Chinese restaurant? Oh, I'm so sorry," Aelita gushed understandingly.

"Yeah, well," Yumi trailed off. "It just wasn't meant to be, I guess. The food was alright though." May as well try and find a silver lining about the date.

"So no good night kiss?"

"On the cheek. He's a good friend. But that's all he's going to be."

"Wow," Aelita breathed. "This is like the twelfth date you've had over the past few years. And you've said that about all of the guys!"

Yumi groaned as she realized Aelita spoke the truth. She slumped on her bed, and shut her eyes to keep the light from bothering her. Even another bite of chocolate couldn't save her from this blow.

"Maybe," Aelita began cautiously, "it's time for you and Ulrich to take a chance."

Stiffening on the bed, Yumi let Aelita's words wash over her.

"Uh, Aelita? I have to go. I, uh, have a paper that's due next week. I want to get a head start on it," Yumi fibbed, using the same excuse she had given Peter on their date.

"Oh. Well, if you insist," Aelita answered solemnly. Yumi knew that Aelita did not believe her for a moment and was just allowing Yumi the solitude she now craved. Yumi couldn't find the words necessary to thank her friend for her understanding.

"Yeah. I'll see you next week. I'll come early," Yumi promised.

"Great!" Aelita perked up, making Yumi smile. "See you then!" Yumi heard a click and knew Aelita had hung up. She waited until the dial tone buzzed annoyingly in her ear before shutting off her mobile.

Lazily, she lay on her bed, her phone resting forgotten in her palm. Her other hand slowly brought the last of the chocolate bar to her mouth. The delicious flavor teased her taste buds as it slowly melted in her mouth.

Was it really time for her and Ulrich? Was there ever going to be a time for them? Maybe there was a reason why Yumi could never click with any guy she dated. Maybe it _was _true that Ulrich was the only guy she would ever connect with in her entire life.

The bed seemed to sway under her, and she gripped her gray comforter as she teetered along dangerous thoughts.

If Ulrich truly was the only one for her, was she alright with that? Did she feel as though she was missing anything in her life? A few years ago, she told Ulrich that she wanted to see other people and live her life. She hadn't wanted to be tied down to Ulrich or to have him tied down to her.

But as she looked at it, he had been right all along. They wouldn't have been tied down to each other. They would have belonged to each other, been happy with each other. They would have smiled, told each other they loved one another.

All those boring dates, all the wasted hours that Yumi could have spent with Ulrich instead. These thoughts were not dangerous, she realized. They were right, they felt comfortable. Everything made so much more sense to her as though an invisible hand had swept across her thoughts and removed all her painful confusion.

Her grip loosened on the comforter and she turned on her side. Playing with the ends of her hair thoughtfully, she knew it had been love at first sight.

Chuckling quietly, she corrected herself. It had been love at first _fight._

Without getting up from the bed, she tossed the candy wrapper in the direction of the waste basket. Her eyelids drooped sleepily and her last conscious thought before she fell into blissful slumber was that she would see Ulrich next weekend and tell him how she felt.

_What I need is a good defense_  
_'Cause I'm feeling like a criminal,_  
_And I need to be redeemed_  
_To the one I've sinned against_  
_Because he's all I ever knew of love.  
-Fiona Apple, Criminal_

* * *

And there you go! Chapter three has been completed! Now you know why I gave this story such a cheesy title. lol

I hope everyone enjoyed that. It's going to have to last you a while because I don't know how long it's going to be until chapter four gets posted. I'm not finished writing that one and once I do finish, I need to send it off to my beta reader. Sorry guys, but you might have to wait a little longer for chapter four. :(

In the mean time, you should check out my new oneshot, **Scar**. It's a YxU fic and it's pretty good, if I do say so myself. Also, **What You Probably Didn't Know** has been updated recently.

Please review! And go have some fun today.


	4. Hey Jealousy

**Author's Note:** I so totally suck. I'm so sorry, guys. This chapter took forever to post, I know. I finished writing it a while ago, and then I sent it to my beta reader. She didn't respond to me for a while, so I think she's on vacation right now. Anyway, I really wanted to post this for you guys. If it makes you feel any better, it's a really long chapter. Maybe that makes up for how overdue it is? I hope so.

**Dedication:** Lyoko Lover. She was my savior since she read over my chapter and told me which parts were good and which needed work. Giulia, you rock. You deserve a gold medal.

**Notes:** There is a new character in this chapter. An OC. But she's not a Mary Sue, I promise! And she doesn't overrule the story or anything. Her name is Jessica and please don't hate her. Please read this chapter with an open mind. Her role in the story is very important. But don't worry, this story is still YxU.

No age change for once! lol Same as chapter 3 since this chapter takes place a week later. (I'll post them again just so you all know.)

Yumi: 21 (junior in college)  
Ulrich: 20 (sophomore in college)  
Odd: 20 (sophomore in college)  
Jeremie: 19 (sophomore in college)  
Aelita: 18 (sophomore in college)

Happy readings!

* * *

'_Cause all I really want is to be with you  
Feeling like I matter, too.  
If I hadn't blown the whole thing years ago,  
I might be here with you.  
__-Gin Blossoms, Hey Jealousy_

Dark green or light green?

Ulrich stood in front of his messy closet and debated over which shirt to wear for Odd's movie premiere. He stood in silent contemplation before shrugging his shoulders. He sniffed each shirt and found that the light green one smelled slightly better.

While he tugged it off its hanger, Ulrich heard the dorm room door open. He turned his head to see Odd grinning wickedly at him. Ulrich's eyes narrowed. Odd couldn't look that mischievous and not have done something wrong.

"Okay, Odd. What did you do this time?" Ulrich asked, pulling the shirt over his head. When he reemerged, Odd was settling himself casually on his bed, peering underneath for some sort of snack.

"Who? Me?" Odd questioned with deliberate innocence forced into his voice. "Oh, nothing. Nothing at all. Wanna cracker?"

"Not really," Ulrich answered, settling himself on his own bed across from Odd's. 'Why the hell did I agree to be his roommate? You'd think I'd have learned my lesson by now,' he thought idly to himself while tying his shoes.

"Aw, Polly doesn't want a cracker?" Odd mocked, throwing a cracker across the room. It bounced off Ulrich's head and landed in his outstretched hand. Glaring at Odd, he tossed the cracker back. Odd opened his mouth wide and caught it in his mouth. A proud look on his freckled face, he beamed brightly at Ulrich.

Ulrich looked away, unwilling to see the half eaten mess in Odd's mouth. Odd pushed the food to the side of his mouth so that he could speak with Ulrich in a slightly coherent manner.

"Ez problly beda' ifh you don' ee' an wah."

"What do you mean that it's probably better if I don't eat anyway?"

Years of being around Odd and his eating habits had trained Ulrich to understand him when he had a mouth full of food. Odd swallowed the rest of the crackery mush in his mouth before further explaining himself.

"Well, you're going to be nervous tonight. You don't want to toss your cookies later. Or, in this case, crackers," Odd joked, looking at the box of crackers in his hands.

Ulrich leaned back on his bed so that he rested on his elbows.

"Okay, Odd, spit it out. Why am I going to be nervous tonight? It's _your_ premiere anyway," he asked, watching the blonde boy warily. Odd stood up with deliberate slowness and stretched his arms in a dramatic fashion.

"Oh, well, there are going to be a lot of guests tonight."

"Yeah. So?" Ulrich failed to see where he was taking this conversation. Odd inched closer to the door before continuing.

"And you know how I said that Yumi wasn't going to be able to make it?" Odd reached for the doorknob as he spoke.

Once again, Ulrich's eyes narrowed into tiny slits. Hesitantly he stood up, nodding at his best friend.

"Yeah, well, I lied. She'll be here any minute now."

In that brief moment when Odd's words hit home, Ulrich felt the ground sink beneath him. His mouth dropped open, and his heart plunged into his stomach.

Fearful of Ulrich's wrath, the spiky-haired teen flung the door open, desperate to make an escape. Unfortunately, he only took a few steps before colliding with someone waiting just outside the door.

Ulrich smirked at Odd's misfortune until he saw who Odd had knocked over.

"Oh, Jessica, I'm so sorry!" Odd apologized genuinely. He stood up quickly and held his hand out to the young girl still lying on the ground. She accepted, and he pulled her up carefully, apologizing the whole while.

"I didn't know you were out there. And I was just running off from your boyfriend here," Odd explained. Jessica gave a lilting laugh, shaking her head.

"It's alright, really. Just a bit surprised, that's all," she promised, smiling warmly at Odd. Then turning her sapphire eyes on Ulrich, she gave him a mock-angry look. "And just why were you chasing Odd, mister?"

She took a few tiny steps so that she stood directly in front of Ulrich. Her hands rested on her hips, and her face scrunched up adorably. He smiled at her stance, and she wrapped her arms around him comfortably. His arm automatically wound itself around her shoulder.

"Well, Ulrich wasn't chasing me," Odd said, answering for Ulrich. He sat on his bed, looking distastefully at the floor. "He just learned that an old friend of ours was coming to visit tonight. He was racing to greet her."

Jessica looked up at Ulrich for confirmation. He nodded briefly, silently willing Odd to just shut up.

"Actually," Odd began with new interest in his voice, "you'd like her, Jessie." The distaste was gone from his face as he addressed Jessica. "Her name's Yumi. And she's a wonderful girl. Absolutely lovely. Wouldn't you agree, Ulrich?"

Ulrich felt very much like a deer caught in headlights as both Odd and Jessica stared at him, waiting for his response. He tried to swallow away some of the dryness in his mouth before answering.

"Yeah, she's pretty nice," he finally responded, dodging the question directly. Jessica seemed satisfied with his answer and helped herself to some of Odd's crackers. Odd rolled his eyes, obviously aware of Ulrich's avoidance.

"Well," Odd said, pulling the door open and resting against the doorframe, "I've got some work to do before my premiere. See you cats on the flip side. Later!"

Jessica giggled as she put the crackers away. Ulrich walked up behind her and rubbed her shoulders gently. Silence washed over the couple, and soon Ulrich felt awkward. He dropped his hands from her shoulders and shoved them into his pockets.

Turning around slowly, Jessica faced him. Her slim fingers tucked a lock of her curly auburn hair behind her ear. She crossed her arms and gave him a wounded expression.

"You were racing to meet her?"

Ulrich fidgeted for a moment, trying to collect his thoughts. He ran his fingers through his hair and tried to ignore the quickened beat of his heart.

"Well, you know Odd. Always stretching the truth," he answered in a round about way. He took hold of her hands and pulled them out of their crossed position. She relented and wrapped her fingers through his.

"Right. So is this the girl that Odd's mentioned before? The pink haired one?" Jessica asked. She stared at a point past Ulrich's shoulder, unable to meet his gaze. She used a casual tone, as though she couldn't care less about which girl was coming to visit, but Ulrich knew the truth.

"Uh, no. That's Aelita. She's coming with her boyfriend, Jeremie," Ulrich replied. He rubbed his thumb in gentle circles into the palm of her hand, trying to comfort her. "The girl Odd was talking about is Yumi. He's, uh, mentioned her a few times, too."

"Oh, right. Now that you mention it, I remember," Jessica responded in clipped tones. Her eyes looked downcast, and her petite frame seemed to shirk from his grasp.

The room felt icy and a lot smaller than it had seemed earlier that day. He fought the urge to pull away from his girlfriend and open the window to breath in the fresh air he needed. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her skinny shoulders and held her warm body tight to his chest.

Jessica tensed for a moment before bringing her arms around his neck. She was nearly a head shorter than him, so he rested his cheek on the top of her head before speaking softly.

"Look, Jessica. Don't worry about it. Yumi's just a good friend. She and I and the rest of the group went through a lot together in middle school and high school. I'd feel the same way about Jeremie coming to visit as I do about Yumi visiting."

It was a lie. It was a complete lie. Ulrich was sure that bolts of lightning were going to come through the ceiling and strike him down. He felt so guilty, lying to Jessica. She was a sweet girl who didn't deserve this.

"If you say so," came her muffled response. Her face was pressed into his chest. Ulrich could feel her lips move through the thin cotton of his shirt, but it stirred nothing within him. It was a dull feeling without the thrill he felt with her when they were first together. Pushing these thoughts to the back of his mind, he pulled away from her slight frame to look into her face.

"I do say so," he repeated. The corners of her pink lips curved into a sweet smile. Her polished fingers brushed the hair from his forehead. Ulrich tried to squelch his guilt and caught her hand deftly in his.

"So you won't worry?" he asked her, kissing her fingertips.

"Not at all. I promise." She grinned brightly and with her free hand, she crossed an X over her heart and stood on tip toes to kiss Ulrich gently on the mouth.

He shut his eyes and returned the kiss, holding Jessica carefully in his arms. But try as he might to focus on his girlfriend, he couldn't help but think about how Yumi would never have just dropped the subject of another girl like that.

* * *

"So, do we get to meet this Jessica that we've heard so much about?" Jeremie asked, looking through the crowd as though she might magically appear out of thin air.

"Yeah, she's around here somewhere," Ulrich answered off-handedly. He didn't bother glancing around to see if she was nearby. "I think she's hanging out with her roommate right now, but Odd gave her a ticket to come see the movie."

"That's nice of him," Jeremie answered in a surprised tone. "I was under the impression that he doesn't like her much."

Ulrich opened his mouth to deny that claim, but Aelita beat him to it. She wrapped her arm tighter around Jeremie's waist and rolled her eyes.

"Oh no, Jeremie. I think he just thinks that Ulrich should be with Yumi instead." With a pointed expression on her face, she looked at Ulrich. One pink eyebrow was raised, and Ulrich felt the immediate urge to act on the defense.

Ever since Odd and his big mouth told Aelita about Jessica, she'd had the cold shoulder for Ulrich. She called him once after she found out about his new relationship to tell him that he was stupid and to ask what he planned to do about Yumi. He had hung up on her because he didn't know exactly how to respond.

He knew Aelita and Yumi were as close as friends could be, but he thought Aelita was taking her loyalty too far. After all, it's not like Yumi was racing to be his girlfriend or anything.

"Aelita, look. I couldn't wait for her forever," Ulrich insisted. He stood up from the plastic chair to face her better.

"I know," Aelita muttered after a pause. Ulrich watched as Jeremie kissed the top of Aelita's head in comfort and felt the urge to kick something. It wasn't his fault that he was dating Jessica, but everyone was acting as though he had committed a murder or something.

Before he could say anything else in his defense, the most beautiful voice drifted into his ear.

"Hey guys!"

He didn't need to turn around to know that Yumi stood behind him.

"Yumi! We were just talking about you!" Aelita squealed. She tore herself away from Jeremie to half attack, half hug Yumi. Jeremie followed his girlfriend's lead and hugged Yumi tightly once Aelita finally released her.

"Wow, you guys sure know how to make a girl feel welcome," Yumi laughed, pulling away from Jeremie's embrace. She turned her sparkling eyes onto Ulrich, who felt his legs turn to stone.

"Hey there, stranger," she commented softly.

Ulrich, unable to think of anything to say, just stretched out his arms to bring her into a hug. Smiling broadly, she stepped forward into his embrace and encircled her arms around his waist. She placed a chaste kiss to his cheek before nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck.

Shutting his eyes, he squeezed her slim body tightly. He could feel her smile into his neck, and goose bumps rose on his arms. She rubbed his back before breaking the hug. While she kept a grip on his forearms, his hands found their way to her waist.

Like every time he saw her after a long period of absence, he was taken aback by how stunning she was. Her hair had been cut recently. The crisp ends curled in slightly under her chin, and Ulrich resisted the overpowering urge to run his fingers through her tresses.

She blinked her large, dark eyes in confusion as he gruffly pulled himself away. It wouldn't be fair to Jessica if he did anything that his heart was urging him to do. The only way to remain faithful to Jessica was to move away from Yumi as fast as he possibly could.

Thankfully, at that moment, Odd was forcing his way through the crowd to join them. Yumi spared Ulrich another confused look before hugging Odd.

"Yumi, it's great to see you! So good that you took time out of your hectic college life to come see my brilliant movie," Odd said quickly.

Apparently, he was not as confident as he had been earlier that day. His eyes darted around as though he were paranoid. Ulrich noticed that Odd was bouncing on the balls of his feet as he was so accustomed to doing when he was nervous.

"So, everyone enjoying themselves?" Before anyone could respond, someone nearby dropped their drink. A resounding sound of shattering glass must have startled Odd for the next moment, he screamed shrilly and jumped into the nearest person's arms, which were Ulrich's, unfortunately.

Unsure of what to do, Ulrich looked down at the shorter boy who was clinging to his shirt with a death grip. Odd took a few deep breaths to calm down before looking up at Ulrich.

"Wow, Ulrich. When's the last time you shaved? And what sort of face wash do you use? Very clear complexion," he teased with a giant grin on his face. Ulrich rolled his eyes and shoved Odd away from him. If he was well enough to make stupid jokes, then he was well enough to not need Ulrich's support.

"Well, you know, I better go make the rounds. Adios!" Odd exclaimed, excusing himself from the rest of the group. "And I need to get some cheese. That might calm me down. Yeah, cheese," he muttered to himself.

Unable to hold in their laughter anymore, the group laughed. Ulrich watched Yumi toss her head back in mirth and felt his stomach clench.

"Ulrich?" A soft voice was heard while the small group laughed.

Whipping around sharply, Ulrich found himself face to face with Jessica. The smile fell from his face, and he could hear his friends quiet down around him.

"Uh, hi, Jessica," he stuttered. "Well, you just missed Odd," he told her, trying to avoid looking at Yumi.

"Oh, I saw him walk away. I think he was heading towards the buffet table. He was saying something about cheese, I think," she replied, shaking her head slightly at Odd's behavior. "He told me that you and your friends were over here."

At the word "friends," she looked over at the trio standing next to Ulrich.

"Oh, well. Yeah. This is them. Jeremie, Aelita, and Yumi," he introduced her to them, pointing to each as he said their names. Jeremie waved in response, and Aelita gave a curt nod. Yumi just stood silently. Ulrich searched her face for any emotion, but it was just a blank slate. Her eyes stared at Jessica's arm around his waist.

"Guys, this is Jessica. She's my, uh." Ulrich swallowed and glanced down at Jessica for a moment before finishing. "She's my girlfriend."

Ulrich would have paid all the money in the world to have the ground just swallow him up whole right then and there. The tension felt so thick in the air that Ulrich was sure that it was choking him.

"Ulrich's talked about you all, of course," Jessica stated, staring directly at Yumi. Her eyes flickered to Jeremie and Aelita for the briefest of moments before landing on Yumi's tall frame once more.

"Well, it's really nice to meet you," Yumi said in a cheerful tone, smiling brightly. Ulrich looked at her in utter disbelief. Completely surprised, Ulrich watched as Yumi took a few steps forward to shake Jessica's hand congenially.

"That's a really cute dress, Jessica. I love the color on you," Yumi complimented. Jessica stood uncertainly for a moment before smiling just as widely.

"Why, thank you! I got it on sale, actually. And let me say, your hair is adorable. Did you recently get it cut?"

"Yes, actually. It was getting too long for me. I've always liked it better short."

"Well, short hair definitely agrees with you," Jessica promised. Yumi smiled once again, and Ulrich felt as though he were trapped in the middle of a toothpaste commercial. If one person smiled around him, he was pretty sure that he would throw something.

Girls were so weird, he decided.

* * *

Somehow, Ulrich really wasn't sure how this had happened, but he ended up sitting between Yumi and Jessica during the film presentation.

Either God hated him, or his friends had a sick sense of humor. He figured it was probably more of the latter because Jeremie kept snickering and Aelita was determinedly avoiding Ulrich's stare.

Jessica sat with her head on Ulrich's shoulder in an obvious display of affection. Yumi sat stiffly with her hands clasped firmly in her lap. Though she and Jessica had remained polite and continued to exchange pleasantries with each other, she had not said a word to him since Jessica first appeared.

Thank God there wasn't a quiz at the end of the movies. Ulrich watched the screen blankly, but had no idea what was going on in front of him. He was too preoccupied with the dilemma he had the misfortune of sitting right in the middle of.

Jessica kept shifting around in her seat. She seemed to be trying to coax Ulrich's hands out of his pockets so that maybe they could hold hands. He ignored her, and she continued to fidget. At first he hadn't minded, but now it was starting to get annoying.

True, maybe he should have been paying more attention to his girlfriend, but his thoughts were too focused on the Japanese beauty next to him. Every now and then, when he felt brave enough, he shot a quick glace at Yumi.

No matter what genre of film was playing, no matter how the audience was laughing or sighing, Yumi looked dead ahead with an aggravated expression on her face. Her silent fuming made Ulrich nervous. He couldn't begin to comprehend what it might be that she was contemplating. He was, however, pretty certain that he wouldn't like the outcome.

Throughout the films, he would occasionally readjust his position. A person could only sit in a hard plastic chair for so long before muscles began to cramp. Occasionally, he would bump against Yumi and what felt like an electric shock would jolt through him.

"Sorry," he muttered for the seventh time. Finally, she broke her stony stare to look at him. She moved her head back and tilted it to the side so that her lips were right next to his ear.

"Stop apologizing. And stop staring at me. Don't think I haven't noticed," she hissed. She moved her head away from his to glare menacingly.

"Okay," he replied quietly. Inwardly, he cringed. God, that was a stupid response. He swallowed quickly, his parched throat ached. He needed to focus on the movie because that stare of her was rendering him incapable of thought.

He stared forward, trying once again to watch the movie playing on the giant screen ahead of them. Yumi, satisfied with his response, leaned back in her seat. Praying to God, Ulrich hoped that she didn't hiss into his ear again for the rest of the night. He wouldn't be able to contain himself otherwise.

Yumi's thigh brushed against his, and her soft touch made parts of him heated and decidedly _not_ soft.

Ulrich, in an attempt to focus his mind on something else, wondered when the movies would be over so that he could get the hell away from this.

* * *

"Well? What did you guys think, huh?"

Odd was making Ulrich dizzy. He kept bouncing and running in circles around their group of friends. His eyes seemed to dance peculiarly, feverish with excitement.

Ulrich felt an immediate pang of guilt. He had not paid much attention to Odd's short film at all. He had been too busy trying to keep himself from jumping out of his skin while sitting between his girlfriend and the girl he had loved for years.

"Uh, it was great," Ulrich started. "Really, Odd. You outdid yourself this time. And I thought that you were just bragging whenever you said how good your movie was."

"What was your favorite part?" Odd asked, his bright blue eyes looking imploringly into Ulrich's. Once again, guilt surged through his body.

"Uh. The camera angles?" He made a stab in the dark, hoping that Odd was too wound up to really pay any attention to him.

Thankfully, he seemed to have made a lucky guess.

"Oh, wow! I'm so glad that you picked up on that. I wanted to go for a sort of spinning laundry effect, but more extravagant, you know?" Odd prattled on about his genius work of art. Ulrich didn't have the heart to tease him about being a braggart. Neither did anyone else it seemed.

"Well, Odd, you hit the nail right on the head with this one," Yumi smiled thinly. "It was great." She reached out to ruffle his blonde hair affectionately before glancing at her wrist watch. "And now, I think I'm going to head off. It was really nice seeing everyone again. But I hit a lot of traffic on the way here. And I don't want to hit any on the way back. So I think I'm just going to leave now. Bye everyone."

She gave a half-hearted wave and began to walk away. Ulrich could feel his heart tense. She had not looked at him once.

How many times was he going to have to suffer? How many times was he going to have to watch her walk away? This whole thing was messed up, and it was entirely his fault.

"Sayonara!" Jessica called out to Yumi's retreated back. Odd made a face behind Jessica's back, and Ulrich didn't bother to try and stop him.

"You know," Jessica started, lacing her hands around Ulrich's neck, "she wasn't at all like I was expecting. From what you and Odd told me about her, I was expecting someone a lot more argumentative. But she was very sweet."

Ulrich looked down at Jessica and was about to reply when he saw Aelita walking off after Yumi.

"Yeah, she is," he murmured, not really paying attention to the tiny girl in his arms. "Hey, Jessica, would you mind if I went to go to talk to Yumi? I forgot to tell her something earlier." He tore his eyes away from Aelita's back to look questioningly at Jessica.

"Oh, I don't mind," she answered, shrugging nonchalantly.

Ulrich muttered thanks and quickly released Jessica. He took several long strides out of the auditorium, twisting his head this way and that to find Yumi. Pausing at a nearby bench, he saw a glimpse of pink and knew it to be Aelita's hair.

Quietly, he walked towards the pink beacon. The girls seemed to be having an argument just beyond a thrush, away from the crowd. Crouching behind the thrush, Ulrich looked around the greenery to watch Aelita pull on Yumi's hand.

"Yumi, I'm sorry!"

"Yeah, sure," Yumi spat sarcastically. She tugged her arm from Aelita. "Why didn't anyone tell me about Jessica?"

Aelita twisted her hands together nervously.

"We all really wanted you to come to the movie premiere. We thought you wouldn't come if you knew about her."

She looked up at Yumi, anxiously biting her lip. Yumi refused to make eye contact with Aelita and looked around her surroundings. Ulrich tucked himself further behind the bush so that she wouldn't accidentally spy him.

"Well, how long has he been going out with her?"

Yumi's voice sounded tight, as though it pained her to speak. Ulrich could hear Aelita shuffle her feet before giving a quiet response.

"About a year."

Looking around the bush to witness Yumi's reaction, Ulrich flinched as her face flushed red with anger. Oh, he was going to be in a world of trouble with her.

"You guys waited a year to tell me? Why on Earth would you do that?" Though she managed to keep her volume down so no audience was attracted, Yumi's voice trembled with rage.

Aelita threw her arms up in defense. Ulrich wondered if she would wave a white flag if one were nearby.

"Ulrich didn't rush to tell anyone at first. I guess he was waiting to see if Jessica was going to last more than a few dates before he told us about her. The only reason Jeremie and I found out so quickly was because Odd can't keep secrets," Aelita promised.

Even from his hiding spot, Ulrich could see her eyes well up with tears. Yumi must have noticed, too, for her stance softened a little. She gave a heavy sigh and let her arms drop from her hips.

"He kept it a secret from me."

"Yes, because he was terrified that you would shoot the messenger," Aelita pleaded, trying to explain Odd's dilemma.

Yumi opened her mouth as though to respond with some sort of sardonic comeback, but seeing Aelita desperate expression, she relented.

"Do you have any idea what this was like for me?" Yumi started, speaking softly. She stepped towards Aelita, who carefully took her hand. "Do you know what I was going to tell Ulrich tonight? And then to come here and meet her? I was completely embarrassed!"

Her voice was filled with anguish, and Ulrich wanted to hit himself. He had never meant for things to escalate as they had.

Feeling unbearably guilty, Ulrich looked on as Aelita reached out a hand to rest to comfortingly onto Yumi's shoulder.

"I'm terribly sorry," Aelita promised. Her obvious sincerity must have persuaded Yumi to calm down.

"It's not your fault. I understand why you didn't tell me." She looked up from the ground to share a sad smile with Aelita. Ulrich felt a huge weight lift from his chest as he watched the two friends hug.

He released a breath that he didn't know he had been holding. Words could never explain just how thankful he was that Yumi was no longer mad at him. Thank God that Aelita was able to calm her down and show her why he had done what he did.

Feeling as though it was time for him to talk to Yumi, he stood up from his position behind the thrush. He brushed the dirt from his pants and walked over towards the still hugging girls.

Hearing his footsteps, Yumi and Aelita broke from their hug and saw Ulrich approach. Yumi's eyes widened in surprise and then narrowed into little slits.

"How much did you hear?" She demanded, suspiciously. Aelita slapped a hand to her forehead and rolled her eyes to stare at the sky.

"Just that you aren't mad at us anymore-"

Yumi held up a hand to quiet him. She stared at him with fire in her eyes, and when she spoke, the ice in her voice made him freeze.

"Oh, no. You misunderstood, then. I'm not mad at Aelita, Jeremie, or Odd. But I never said I wasn't mad at _you_."

Ulrich blinked rapidly in utter confusion. Hadn't she just said she wasn't mad? What was she going on about now?

"Wait, what did I do wrong here?" He demanded to know, crossing his arms across his chest. Yumi pointed wildly at Aelita, barely able to contain her resentment.

"They shouldn't have had to tell me that you had a girlfriend! You should have told me! We've talked on the phone how many times in the past few months? We even hung out a few times! Is this the reason why you never had me come visit you at school? Is this why we could only ever hang out in the city or at my school?"

"I didn't know how to tell you!"

The pounding of his heart resounded in his ears, and it was a wonder that Ulrich could hear her at all. Her voice never grew in volume, only grew harsher and more wounded. He stared into her face for a moment and saw that despite her angry expression, the look in her eyes was miserable.

"So you thought not telling me at _all_ was a better idea? Everything you said about us being friends, it was a lie. And now you, ugh! And just when I was about to, ugh!"

Words, it seemed, were not enough to express the rage she felt. Peering closely into her eyes, Ulrich found that they were oddly bright. To his immense surprise, he realized that she was holding back tears. He felt his breath catch in his throat.

"Wait, what did you want to tell me?"

Yumi snorted in the most unladylike fashion. Ulrich felt his anger flare up at her attitude.

"Forget it! There's no way I'm going to tell you now," she responded, blowing a strand of hair out of her face. She turned her head away to avoid his stare completely. He watched as she tried to discretely brush the unshed tears from her eyes.

As much as Ulrich desperately wanted to know what she had wanted to tell him, he knew there would be no way she would confide in him tonight. Swallowing back his urge to beg her to tell him her secret, he raised his hands in a show of defeat.

"Yumi, I'm sorry. I really, really am." He paused, waiting for her to turn around and meet his gaze. After several moments of thick silence, Ulrich continued. "I don't know what else to tell you."

Yumi sighed heavily and finally turned back around to face Ulrich. Wearily, she rubbed her eyes as she spoke.

"Don't bother, Ulrich. There's nothing else you can say." Peering at Ulrich through he fingers, she shrugged. It seemed as though her anger had been replaced by exhaustion.

Yumi walked over to Aelita and murmured a farewell to her friend. Aelita looked over sympathetically and made Yumi promise to call her later. The girls hugged once more, and Yumi began walking towards the parking lot on the other side of the campus.

Ulrich frowned as he watched her walk away for what seemed like the hundredth time in his life. She couldn't leave yet. A fierce indignation coursed through his veins. She was going to just leave? To make him feel completely horrible just because he had a girlfriend? Because he hadn't waited for her to finally get off her throne and see that he had always loved her?

No. He wouldn't let her leave like that.

"Well, I'm sure it's not like you haven't had a boyfriend in college," Ulrich yelled at her retreating form. Yumi stopped moving and stood still in place for a moment.

Aelita made frenzied motions towards Ulrich, signaling that he just needed to stop talking right now. In his mind he knew that Aelita was right, that he was only digging a deeper hole for himself.

But he didn't care. Right now, all that mattered was that he evened the score. Yumi had to know that she couldn't just make Ulrich feel as though he hadn't cared for her enough when she was the one who continuously refused to be with him.

Slowly, as though in a dream, Yumi turned around. Her pink lips formed a thin, straight line and a dangerous fire burned in her dark eyes as she placed her hands on the swell of her hips.

"I thought I said there was nothing else you could say. And your adorable little comment definitely isn't helping your case at all." The amount of sarcasm placed into "adorable" made Ulrich's blood run cold. He licked his dry lips as she removed her hands from her hips.

"But regardless, no, actually, I haven't had any boyfriends," she finished. She looked strangely triumphant as she stared him down.

Ulrich could feel himself shrink a few inches. He felt like a complete idiot.

"But Odd said that you've gone on dates," he sputtered.

"Dates, yes. Boyfriends, no," Yumi corrected him in a cool voice. "But my single life might not last long. I just had a date last week. He was a wonderful guy."

Sending a cold smile his way, Yumi turned to once again head towards the parking lot. After a moment, she spun around to face Ulrich as though she had just remembered something else she wanted to tell him.

"Actually," she said with a hard edge to her voice, "he reminded me a lot of William." Shrugging, she smirked. "Maybe that's why I like him so much."

She raised her eyebrows and watched in amusement as Ulrich's expression turned livid. Without another word, Yumi ran towards the parking lot, not looking back once.

Years of jealousy and all the resentment he had felt that evening scorched his heart. He could hardly see, his anger was so strong. Fierce tears pricked behind his eyes, and he wondered if Yumi had tears in her eyes again, too.

He gave a strong sniff and wiped his eyes on the sleeve of his shirt. As he shut his eyes and pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose, he felt Aelita's small form come behind him. She placed her hands on his shoulders and rested her head between his shoulder blades.

The warmth her body radiated gave him small comfort. He stood staring where Yumi had disappeared for an indefinite amount of time. Crowds of people walked around, talking about one film or another. Their laughter, their meaningless words, their ignorance to his loneliness washed over him.

Ulrich waited until his rapidly beating heart calmed down before speaking.

"You know what the really sick thing is, Aelita?" His voice sounded gravelly and raw from the yelling and emotion he had gone through.

"What?" Aelita asked in a tender and prompting tone. Ulrich shut his eyes and could still see the image of Yumi's beautiful smile from earlier that day burned into his eyelids. Through the noise of the crowd, he could still hear her laughter. He could still feel the heat of her face pressed into his neck.

"I'm still glad that I got to see her today."

_The past is gone, but something might be found  
to take its place. Hey, jealousy…  
__-Gin Blossoms, Hey Jealousy_

* * *

Haha, you all thought that Yumi and Ulrich would get together in this chapter after her epiphany in chapter three. Guess you just have to wait a little longer for those two fighting-lovebirds to make things work. Oh, I am so cruel to these characters. It's just so fun.

Anyway, chapter five is nearly completed. I promise. I should be updating sometime next week. I'll be on vacation all this week and not really writing too much. Sorry guys, but it's summer and I only have so much vacation time before college.

If you all have some free time, I updated **What You Probably Didn't Know**. And also, I wrote a new one-shot, **Traveling Soldier** (which YxU shippers like you all are should like).

Please review! Let me know what you think!


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